Trump Plays the Blame Game

Playbook: “With the shutdown now firmly in the rear view, President Donald Trump is stuck between a rock and a hard place — battling the surprisingly sticky matter of the files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a growing concern from voters on cost of living. On both issues, Trump appears to be washing his hands by messaging it as the Democrats’ problem.”

“The push and pull between the discourse that’s taking over the beltway this week with the reemergence of the Epstein controversy, and the cross-country reality for many Americans raising red flags over the economy, hits at both ends of the core MAGA coalition. It’s a unique combination that only risks amplifying concerns over a stray from the populist, pocketbook rhetoric that propelled Trump’s 2024 victory.”